Peneflix MOVIE REVIEWS BY PENEFLIX
This provocative, unlikely Bollywood flick revolves around the bombardment of the norm, society’s dictates and breathtaking freedom gained from being involuntarily ripped from one’s comfort zone; a kidnapping releases the chained, frustrated spirit of a traditional, wealthy, urban, spoiled sophisticate, engaged to the perfect prospect (cad of a man), “arranged” by the families of the mismatched pair.
Alia Bhatt (daughter of Soni Razdan and Mahesh Bhatt) gives a stunning, sensitive portrayal as “Veera”, whose kidnapping (not unlike Stockholm Syndrome) results in an unshackled liberation, a transformation so profound she thinks she is going insane. Kidnapper “Mahabir” (recalcitrant, in- depth performance by Randeep Hooda) slowly slips into the sublime, surreal aura that Veera engulfs him in; his brutal, outlawed life is bifurcated by the engaging wiles of this lovely, novel, exuberant beauty; an unfathomable coupling, even in contemporary India. A solid, legitimate love story evolves as aimless hours are spent traveling the isolated “highway”; miles dissipate, class/caste differences dim, eventually evaporate.
Writer/director Imtiaz Ali with a musical score by award-winner A. R. Rahman gift audiences a film rich in character development; complexities revealed as the Veera and Mahabir switch roles; avoiding fantasy, reality cunningly lurks, obstacles are shunned, ignored; the “highway” eventually dies; life and its expectancies prevail.
THREE & 1/2 STARS!!!
Peneflix
